WEATHER: More snow possible overnight; temps will drop below freezing

The National Weather Service is warning residents that more snowfall is possible overnight, and temperatures are expected to drop to below freezing, which may cause an icy commute on Tuesday morning, Dec. 6.

“Most area will see a trace to one inch of snow,” reads a announcement. “Up to three inches of snow is possible if a convergence zone develops.”

A Winter Weather Advisory is also in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST TUESDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST TUESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING…SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING BELOW FREEZING. A CONVERGENCE ZONE MAY BRING A NARROW BAND OF LOCALLY HEAVIER SNOW. SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.

* SNOW AMOUNTS…MOST AREAS WILL SEE A TRACE TO 1 INCH OF SNOW. UP TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE IF A CONVERGENCE ZONE DEVELOPS.

* IMPACTS…SNOW AND ICE ON SOME ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES MAY CAUSE SLIPPERY DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW COULD CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

SCHOOL CLOSURES
Highline Public Schools usually doesn’t announce its snow plans until very early in the morning, so be sure to check the district’s website here. FYI the usual options are cancelling classes for the day, or having a two-hour delay.

TRANSPORTATION
Metro Transit is warning travelers to prepare for snow and delays:

Some Metro buses might chain tonight; crews on standby to plow roads

Snowfall is in the forecast in parts of King County for Monday evening, and the King County Department of Transportation urges Metro Transit customers and water taxi riders, as well as people who travel unincorporated county roads, to monitor weather conditions and plan for possible travel delays.

At the moment, a National Weather Service winter weather advisory is in effect for north of Seattle and east to Bellevue. Metro Transit continues to monitor weather conditions as they evolve and crews are prepared to adjust service where needed.

In areas where snow accumulates Monday night, Metro is prepared to chain buses for routes and trips after 8 p.m. Riders might see chained buses traveling outside of snow areas depending on their assigned routes.

Buses might also shift to snow routes as needed, or coordinate with special shuttles equipped with tire chains to connect riders in hilly or difficult-to-access areas with transit service on major corridors. If Metro activates snow routes, email and text transit alert subscribers will receive notifications and information will be posted to Metro’s Snow and Ice page.

Earlier Monday, Metro made changes to its trolley fleet operations as a precaution. Articulated 60-foot-long buses are the workhorses of Metro’s fleet, however the 60-foot-long articulated electric trolley buses were temporarily grounded due to the expected inclement weather – a regular measure for Metro with its trolley fleet due to difficulty operating in snow conditions. Some bus trips were temporarily canceled Monday morning and afternoon in order to shift buses to serve those electric trolley routes. Metro will continue to evaluate when it is safest to return the 60-foot-long articulated electric trolley fleet to service depending on weather conditions in Seattle.

Road Services: crews are on rotation and available to sand and plow mapped snow routes. Call the 24/7 Roads Helpline to report road traffic safety issues in unincorporated King County, such as downed stop signs, malfunctioning signals or trees over the roadway. The 24/7 Helpline: 206-477-8100 or 1-800-527-6237 (1-800-KC-ROADS). The Snow and Ice page has more information.

Metro Transit: supervisors are staffing the agency’s control center, actively monitoring the forecast and will respond to changing weather conditions in the event they affect roads across King County. As weather conditions continue to develop, Metro customers are urged to familiarize themselves with the planned snow route for their regular bus.

Water Taxi: crews are prepared to respond to icy conditions should they develop at the docks served by the water taxi, which currently operates weekday service.

Airport: personnel monitor airfield conditions, including during periods of very cold temperatures and possible snow. Crews recently began weekly coordinated snow-removal practice runs and are prepared to remove snow from the runways when needed.

Monday night: Snow showers likely, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 33. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. North northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southeast in the evening.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. East northeast wind 6 to 11 mph.

Wednesday Night: Snow, mainly after 4am. Low around 28. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday: Snow before 10am, then rain. High near 35. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 35. Breezy.

Friday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 44.

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 39.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 45.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Monday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.

WEBCAMS
One good way to monitor the weather is by monitoring our Webcam Page – here are a few choice images: